Karola Dillenburger

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• PhD
• Professor at Queen's University Belfast

A neurodiversity movement (NDM) has gained momentum, mainly driven by autistic self-advocates. The main argument of the NDM is that neurodivergent people experience discrimination that is on par with the historical discrimination of other minority groups. In this article, we propose a behavior analyst’s perspective on the NDM. We first explore the...

The Good Inclusion Game (GIG) is a class-wide education intervention employing interdependent group contingencies to increase inclusive behaviors between pupils with and without special educational needs (SEN). While previous research provided evidence of effectiveness when the class of children was split into two groups, it did not assess the effe...

Reading comprehension requires phonics skills, described as “blending phonemes in a word”. Adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience poor reading comprehension. The aim of the present study was to explore if it is possible for an adolescent with ASD and intellectual disability to learn reading comprehension skills e...

Introduction: Applied behavior analysis (ABA)-based interventions have been used worldwide for several decades to improve socially significant behaviors of individuals with autism. However, as the utilization of the ABA-based interventions in the Chinese mainland is relatively new, it remains unclear about some fundamental aspects of using these in...

Individuals on the autism spectrum experience a wide range of support needs and it comes as no surprise that opinions differ as to the best way to provide necessary supports. Some articulate self-advocates argue that societal acceptance of neurodiversity is the key issue. These views have clashed with those of parents and professionals who advocate...

Questions about human behavior and diversity have captured the attention of scientists from a wide range of philosophical stances for centuries. While behavior analysts would argue that natural science is an enlightening perspective when applied to the understanding of the human condition, at times arguments within certain campaigns would prefer Ap...

Positive Behaviour Support is an applied behaviour analytic system of support that is utilised in schools and in residential care settings for children and adults with disabilities who engage in challenging behaviour. Implementation fidelity depends on appropriate staff training and organisational behaviour management. A systematic literature revie...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s40617-022-00754-0.].

Behavior analysts are not recognized or regulated as a distinct profession in Europe. For the most part, European behavior analysts adhered to the standards set by the U.S.-based Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). However, the BACB certification has not been recognized officially in any European jurisdiction. The recent decision by the BA...

Precision teaching (PT) is a holistic system that allows the monitoring of behaviour change on a specially designed Standard Celeration Chart (SCC). In instructional settings, precision teachers aim for fluent responding (i.e., accuracy and speed) from their learners. Thus PT, in these settings, includes fluency-building (FB) strategies. FB strateg...

A new way to present the behavioural stream

This study explored the experiences of professionals and parents from the United Kingdom and China of autism-relevant policies, school involvement, and applied behavior analysis-based interventions. Semistructured interviews involving 36 parents and professionals and direct behavioral observations were carried out of five parents and three professi...

The University of California at Los Angeles-Young Autism Project (UCLA-YAP) provides one of the best known and most researched comprehensive applied behavior analysis-based intervention models for young children on the autism spectrum. This paper reports a systematic literature review of replication studies over more than 30 years. The data show th...

This article explores the extent to which the newly published BPS guidelines ignores support for the findings of Applied Behaviour Analysis

Task analyses and chaining procedures are effective methods that behaviour analysts use for teaching skills to individuals on the autism spectrum. Breaking a skill into its individual components can help alleviate performance anxiety, teach skill acquisition and ensure long-term maintenance. We examined whether, after a training session, parents (n...

Applied behavior analysis (ABA)-based intervention is typically utilized to support children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which has been widely used across the world. However, little is known about the current extent of the utilization of applied behavior analysis for children with autism in China. This paper provides a systematic review o...

Objectives To evaluate parent and teacher opinion of the provision of in-school eyecare and jargon-free written reporting of visual status for children in special educational settings. Participants and methods A nationally-agreed, in-school eyecare framework for children attending special schools which recommends a full eye examination, dispensing...

Training of behaviour analysts for autism services, has improved notably within a European higher education context. However, regional discrepancies associated with economic, health care, social services, and institutional policies magnify the importance of creating appropriate unified training and consumer protection. Although the European Associa...

Children diagnosed with autism have the right to access evidence-based practices that are necessary for their education and welfare. Oftentimes, parents of these children are not satisfied with the education provided by the State and they challenge education or health authorities in tribunals. Usually, these tribunal hearings revolve around the inc...

Accessible summary Children with learning disabilities often have problems with their eyesight. We tested the eyes of nine children and checked whether they needed glasses or bigger print. We found that when they got what they needed to see better, their behaviour improved. This is important because children with learning disabilities need to be ab...

People with autism are approximately twice as likely to die from drowning than members of the general population. Drowning can take place in quite small bodies of water. Therefore, acquiring good water safety skills is of the utmost importance. A systematic review of research into effective behavioural interventions for water safety and swim skills...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220480.].

In this paper, we offer suggestions for how to use behavioural and digital technologies to address the relatively slow uptake of behaviour analysis in Europe. We start with an overview of baseline conditions in which misinformation is rife. We argue that a more systematic use of behavioural technology is needed in advocacy for better autism service...

The present review assessed the current knowledge regarding caregiver- training effectiveness for human and human-canine dyads. Most canine-related sources (66%; n = 19) were case studies reporting a decrease of learner undesired behavior when using oral instruction (21%; n = 6). Most human-related research used single-case designs (57%; n = 26) re...

Objectives To determine whether implementation of comprehensive in-school eyecare results in measurable benefits for children and young people in terms of visual status, classroom behaviours and how well their visual needs are met. Design School-based observational study. Participants & Methods 200 pupils [mean age 10 years 9 months, 70% male, ma...

The term “education for all” in the context of inclusive schooling describes the aim that children with identified special/additional needs are fully included in education together with their typically developing peers. However, this is easier said than done as there are few easy‐to‐use methods that teachers can use while at the same time teaching...

Objectives: Intravenous fluid (IV) therapy is an important component of care for many hospital patients, especially in perioperative and acute care settings. However, errors in fluid composition and dosing can be life-threatening. To achieve competent professional performance, i.e., accurate and fluent, it is vitally important that medical students...

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience much higher rates of forced sexual interactions than non-disabled individuals, with incidence ranges from 44% in children (Ballan in J Autism Dev Disord 42:676–684, 2012; Kvam in Child Abuse Negl 24:1073–1084, 2000; van der Put et al. in J Intellect Disabil Res 58:979–991...

Since autism was first recognised, prevalence has increased rapidly. The growing economic as well as social cost to families and society can only be mitigated by effective interventions and supports. It is, therefore, not surprising that there is much heated debate and most governments have developed public policies to address the management of aut...

Background Educators have been challenged to provide more effective dermatology teaching methods. Drawing from the discipline of Applied Behaviour Analysis, Precision Training (PT) (e.g. using flashcards during timed learning sessions) can promote fluency i.e. accuracy and speed in a particular skill. We aimed to determine the impact of PT on medi...

Behavior analysts are responsible for disseminating behavior analysis by making information about the science available to the public, professional peers, and government officials. The purposes of the current paper are to outline the dissemination efforts of professional associations in the field of behavior analysis; to highlight the parallel effo...

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is recognised as the scientific basis of effective interventions in many educational, social, and medical fields, including autism. In this chapter, the basic tenets of ABA are described and briefly reviewed. Autism aetiology, diagnosis and prevalence are sketched out and the remainder of the chapter focusses on ABA...

Since autism was first recognised, prevalence has increased rapidly. The growing economic as well as social cost to society can only be mitigated by effective interventions and supports. It is therefore not surprising that most governments have developed public policy documents to address the management of autism. Over the past 40-50 years, meaning...

Rapid developments in technology, coinciding with the shift in educational ideology towards the inclusion of children with multiple disabilities, has led to increased calls for a Universal Design (UD) approach to promoting, user-friendly, proactive, transparent, and accessible environments and to the importance of Assistive Technology (AT) applicat...

The present study compared cultural differences in the UK and China in relation to Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)-based interventions for children with autism. In the UK, seven participants were interviewed (five professionals and two parents of children with autism). In China, eight participants took part in interviews (five professionals and th...

Behaviour therapy and applied behaviour analysis have a long tradition of establishing strategies to train staff. This chapter discusses the importance of staff training for behaviour interventionists. Staff training is a significant factor of efficiency in any industry or organisation. Staff training for behaviour analysts in education, social and...

Individuals with autism and intellectual disability (ID) have complex learning needs and often have difficulty in acquiring reading comprehension skills using conventional teaching tools. Evidence based reading interventions for these learners and the use of assistive technology and application of behaviour analysis to develop user-centered teachin...

Games and virtual worlds have many potential benefits for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in terms of training, education, and rehabilitation. However, because this population presents a wide range of specific needs and abilities, it can be difficult to design games which are engaging and present optim...

Background: Increasingly, pupils on the autism spectrum are educated in inclusive mainstream classrooms. However, they often experience social isolation and bullying, and raising the awareness of autism in peers has been suggested as a remedy. Methods: In order to assess autism awareness in peers, autism-related questions were included in two la...

Individuals with autism and intellectual disability (ID) have complex learning needs and often have difficulty in acquiring reading comprehension skills using conventional teaching tools. Evidence based reading interventions for these learners and the use of assistive technology and application of behaviour analysis to develop user-centered teachin...

Objective Postsecondary educational attainment is the key for successful transition to adulthood, economic self-sufficiency, and good mental and physical health. Method Secondary analyses of school leavers' data were carried out to establish postsecondary educational trajectories of students on the autism spectrum in the United Kingdom. ResultsFind...

Having well-trained staff is key to ensuring good quality autism services, especially since people affected with autism generally tend to have higher support needs than other populations in terms of daily living, as well as their mental and physical health. Poorly-trained staff can have detrimental effects on service provision and staff morale and...

With rising numbers of school-aged children with autism educated in mainstream classrooms and applied behavior analysis (ABA) considered the basis of best practice, teachers’ knowledge in this field has become a key concern for inclusion. Self-reported knowledge of ABA of special needs teachers (n = 165) was measured and compared to their actual kn...

Intergenerational transmission of trauma describes the impact that traumatic events experienced by one generation have for the subsequent generation. In Northern Ireland, violent conflict raged between 1969 and 1998, when a peace process begun. This study explored to what extent (if any) parents’ experiences of the conflict influenced how children...

Sexuality is an issue of equality, rights, and ethics, especially when it comes to the sexuality of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This paper offers a discussion of ethics related to the assessment and intervention supports of sexual behavior in people with IDD. A brief history of sexuality and disability is presente...

Report of finding from doctoral research.

Helping the most vulnerable out of the poverty trap and reducing inequality: Policies, strategies, and services for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, including intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities (Working title: Benchmarking Autism Services Efficacy: BASE Project) The BASE project aimed to provide baseline data for individuals...

Helping the most vulnerable out of the poverty trap and reducing inequality: Policies, strategies, and services for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, including intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities (Working title: Benchmarking Autism Services Efficacy: BASE Project) The BASE project aimed to provide baseline data for individuals...

To date there has been little research on family changes caused by having a child of 0 to 7 years old with autism in the family. This thesis examines the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the context of the family and compared families’ experiences in Ireland and Romania. This research took a family system perspective, exploring how fa...

Helping the most vulnerable out of the poverty trap and reducing inequality: Policies, strategies, and services for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, including intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities (Working title: Benchmarking Autism Services Efficacy: BASE Project) The BASE project aimed to provide baseline data for individuals...

Increasingly, adults with autism speak about their experiences and are offered a ‘seat at the table’, where high-level policy and practice decisions are made regarding autism or are invited to present at prestigious conferences. Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) has become a key principle in health, social care, and educational decision-making....

Editorial comment This paper describes a study that used video materials and visits to an airport to prepare children on the autism spectrum for travel by plane. Twenty parents and carers took part in the study with children aged from 3 to 16 years. The authors explain that the methods they used were based on Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) resear...

Prevalence estimations for Autism Spectrum Disorder have been increasing over the past few years with rates now reported to be at 1:68. Interventions that are based on Applied Behaviour Analysis are significantly related to best outcomes and are widely considered ‘treatment as usual’ in North America. In Europe, this is not the case, instead a rath...

Objective: Most of what we know about children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is based on post-diagnostic, retrospective, self-select studies. Oftentimes, there is no direct comparison between trajectories of children with ASD and children without ASD. Methods: To circumvent both of these problems, the present secondary data analysis utilis...

Children with autism spectrum disorder are increasingly educated in mainstream classrooms in the United Kingdom (Wilkinson & Twist, Autism and Educational Assessment: UK Policy and Practice. NFER, Slough, 2010), and some employers are now specifically seeking out staff on the autism spectrum. Does that mean that we are living in an 'inclusive socie...

Multidisciplinary practice has become an accepted approach in many education and social and health care fields. In fact, the right to a multidisciplinary assessment is enshrined in the United Nations Convention of the Rights for Persons with Disabilities. In order to avert a ‘one size fits all’ response to particularly heterogeneous diagnoses, such...

Prevalence rates of autism spectrum disorder have risen dramatically over the past few decades (now estimated at 1:50 children). The estimated total annual cost to the public purse in the United States is US$137 billion, with an individual lifetime cost in the United Kingdom estimated at between £0.8 million and £1.23 million depending on the level...

With rising prevalence rates of autism spectrum disorders worldwide (i.e. current prevalence of 1:88; CDC 2012) it is imperative to implement efficacious interventions to improve functional outcomes for those diagnosed with autism. Applied behaviour analysis has been shown to produce advantageous outcomes (e.g. raised IQ scores, improved verbal ski...

Self‐determination and decision‐making are acknowledged internationally as key rights of persons with disabilities and should play an important role in the development of educational plans and procedures. Not only is the chance for individuals with developmental disabilities to select their own tasks, leisure activities or reinforcers a valuable wa...

In societies emerging from conflict/war, sustained occurrence of violence appears to be a common feature. In Northern Ireland, while incidents of violent deaths and injuries specifically related to the political conflict have decreased dramatically since 1998, regular riots and paramilitary activity confirm continuing division and conflict. The stu...

For more than fifty years evidence has been accrued regarding the efficacy of applied behaviour analysis-based interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Despite this history of empirical evidence, some researchers and ASD experts still are reluctant to accept behavioral interventions as best practice for ASD. In this paper, we c...

Helping the most vulnerable out of the poverty trap and reducing inequality: Policies, strategies, and services for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, including intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities (Working title: Benchmarking Autism Services Efficacy: BASE Project) The BASE project aimed to provide baseline data for individuals...

Almost 90% of all adult sons and daughters with disabilities live at home with their parents. Consequently, they have life experiences that are atypical for most of their adult peers and their aging caregivers are under stress due to failing health, financial pressures, bereavement, and worry about the future. Adults with intellectual disabilities...

To date there has been little research on family changes caused by having a child of 0 to 7 years old with autism in the family. This thesis examines the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the context of the family and compared families’ experiences in Ireland and Romania. This research took a family system perspective, exploring how fa...

To date there has been little research on family changes caused by having a child of 0 to 7 years old with autism in the family. This thesis examines the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the context of the family and compared families’ experiences in Ireland and Romania. This research took a family system perspective, exploring how fa...

Applied behaviour analysis (ABA)-based programmes are endorsed as the gold standard for treatment of children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in most of North America. This is not the case in most of Europe, where instead a non-specified ‘eclectic’ approach is adopted. We explored the social validity of ABA-based interventions with 15 Europea...

Helping the most vulnerable out of the poverty trap and reducing inequality: Policies, strategies, and services for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, including intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities (Working title: Benchmarking Autism Services Efficacy: BASE Project) The BASE project aimed to provide baseline data for individuals...

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the standard-comparison study by Strid, K., Heimann, M., Gillberg, C., Smith, L., & Tjus, T. (2012). Deferred Imitation and Social Communication in Speaking and Nonspeaking Children With Autism. Focus Autism Other Developmental Disabilities, DOI: 10.1177/1088357612468030Source of funding an...

Education can have a powerful and long-term effect on people's lives and therefore should be based on evidence of what works best. This assertion warrants a definition of what constitutes good research evidence. Two research designs that are often thought to come from diametrically opposed fields – single-subject research designs and randomised con...

Objective: The aim of this paper is to bridge the gap between the corpus of imitation research and video-based intervention (VBI) research, and consider the impact imitation skills may be having on VBI outcomes and highlight potential areas for improving efficacy. Method: A review of the imitation literature was conducted focusing on imitation s...

International evidence confirms that early childhood educators can enter professional practice unprepared for child protection due to inadequate pre-service preparation. This paper makes an original contribution by using the Child Protection Questionnaire for Educators (CPQE) to examine the pre- and post-intervention child maltreatment and protecti...

Sixty-seven widows whose husbands had been killed in the context of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland were assessed in relation to the cause of death, the quality of their marital relationship and the level of worry prior to the loss. Results reported here show that the violent cause of death led to a greater level of long-term psychological d...

The number of children identified as having intellectual or developmental disability is rising worldwide and their education has been found wanting. It has been said that "they simply need better teaching." At the same time, there is an increasing evidence base that pedagogy that is based on the discipline of behaviour analysis offers the best pros...

Having a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) poses a range of challenges to families, many of which can be addressed through appropriate intervention. A study of parental (n = 95) and professional (n = 67) experiences was carried out in relation to two settings: (a) schools that provided intensive interventions based on the science...

Individualised behavioural interventions are known to promote development, enhance skills and communication and reduce rigid and stereotypical patterns in children with autism spectrum disorder especially if they start in early pre-school age and are offered in high intensity. In many countries, however, these interventions are not available to fam...

Increasingly, Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is internationally recognised as the scientific basis for teaching and treatment in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Yet, many governments and professionals across Europe promote an eclectic model as more child-centred and pragmatic. This paper addresses the issues of eclecticism and ABA by exploring how mis...

People diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) deserve the same respect as any other person and should be free to benefit from scientific research that can help them achieve skills which enable them to reach their full potential. Over the past 40 years Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) has utilised inductive, natural science methods to investi...

Professionals on both international and national levels who work with children with autism are expressing the need for graduate-level training in applied behaviour analysis. The implementation of effective instruction in higher education for professionals working with children with autism and their families is a complex undertaking: the learner nee...

Educating the public accurately about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an important undertaking, not least because misconceptions and myths about ABA abound. In this paper we argue that, unfortunately, the efforts of many dedicated professionals and parents to disseminate accurate information about the benefits of ABA for children diagnosed with...

When sons and daughters with disabilities live with their parents all their lives, this can sometimes be difficult for the parents as well as the sons and daughters. We asked the parents what they like and dislike about having their sons and daughters living with them and what makes it easy and what makes it difficult. The parents who took part in...

The number of children diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is rising and is now thought to be as high as 1:100. While the debate about best treatment continues, the effects of having a child diagnosed with ASD on family life remain relatively unexplored. This article, by Karola Dillenburger of Queens University Belfast, Mickey Keenan...

Background For families of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) getting a diagnosis is a traumatic experience on which future care and education plans for the child depend. In this paper parental experiences of diagnosis and forward planning for children with ASD are reported. Method This paper is part of a large cross-sectional s...